


a wedding shouldn't cost as much as the home you build from it

by SalomeWeil



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Consumerism, F/M, Money, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning, Weddings, budgeting, weddings are a racket, weddings cost too much okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalomeWeil/pseuds/SalomeWeil
Summary: Rey is in love with Ben. Ben is in love with Rey. Rey wants Ben to be happy. Ben wants Rey to be happy. Planning a wedding is not making Rey happy. What's a girl to do?
Relationships: Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Finn/Rose Tico, Leia Organa & Ben Solo, Poe Dameron & Rey, Poe Dameron/Amilyn Holdo, Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	a wedding shouldn't cost as much as the home you build from it

Rey looked in horror from the flyer with printing prices on it to the representative standing in front of her and back again at least three times before Rose gently took her by the elbow and steered her away from the table. 

“Please remember it’s just for fun, Rey,” Rose murmured as they made their way down one of the packed aisles of the convention center-turned-wedding expo. 

Rey still looked aghast at the sheet in her hands. “Just for fun? Rose, these people are asking more money for one hundred measly invitations than I make in a week! Besides, it’s hardly ‘for fun’. This bloody ring on my finger sure as hell isn’t ‘for fun’.” 

She held her hand out and looked at said ring askew, as if it might turn into a poisonous snake and bite her any minute. 

“Rey, if you take that thing off again I swear -”

Rey stopped in the middle of tugging at it and guiltily looked at Rose. She dropped her hands and then tossed the flyer from the printers in the nearest trash bin. 

“Fine,” she said. “Lead the way. I’ll be good, I swear.”

Rose looked at her a moment like she knew Rey was lying through her teeth - maybe Rey was lying with the best of intentions, but she was still lying - and then sighed and gestured forward. 

“All right. Come on.” 

* * *

  
  


“And then - Finn, are you paying any attention? And  _ then _ they said, oh, no, it’s not ten dollars an hour, it’s ten  _ thousand  _ -”

Finn interrupted her by spluttering into his drink and thereby proving that he had been listening.

“Thank you,” Rey responded, feeling utterly justified. Rose glared at them both.

“What she’s neglecting to tell you is that they were definitely one of the most expensive options there -”

“That doesn’t matter when even the cheapest option expects half a month’s paycheck as a  _ deposit _ .”

“Rey, this is your wedding! Once in a lifetime?”

“Not with the rates of divorce it isn’t. Not to mention early death, accident, annulment -”

“You are impossible! Fine. You like Finn’s point of view so much, he can be your maid of honor. I quit.”

Finn couldn’t help it, he started laughing, and a second later Rey joined him, even as she was calling after an angry and somewhat distraught Rose.

“Oh, hell,” she said, leaning back against the sofa cushions. “I’d better go after her.”

“No, let me. I’m the one who laughed. Besides, she’s probably locked her apartment door and I have a key.” He waggled his brows at Rey, who laughed again.

“Thanks for listening, Finn.”

“Anytime, Peanut. You want me to make up with her or make it up to her?” He laughed again as she threw a pillow at him. “Hey, I just need to know if you still want her to come back as maid of honor!”

“Just go!”

“Going!” Finn sang at her over his shoulder. A second later their apartment door closed and his footsteps receded. 

Rey leaned her head back and closed her eyes. 

Weddings were such a  _ racket _ .

* * *

Rey was ticking items off a list as Ben poured the hot water for their tea.

“We’re printing the invitations ourselves. Rose is helping me make the favors. Phasma and Hux insisted that their gift is playing for us, even though I think we can do something nice for them - a dinner out or something. I have a dress already, remember me telling you? I bought it last year at a vintage boutique on a weekend in the city with Finn, so that’s one more expense down -”

“Rey, you know you don’t have to budget this like it’s a long weekend we’re paying for and you  _ really  _ don’t have to wear a dress from a thrift store -”

“I love that dress! You don’t even know what it looks like; you’ll love it, too,” Rey said, sniffing haughtily. 

Ben continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I have some money saved from...before. And my mother -”

“I am not taking money from your mother for this. And I’m really not taking money from that hellscape of a corporation for this. That is blood money, Ben Solo.”

Ben watched her with a grave expression as she continued to crunch numbers. She suddenly looked up, a light in her eyes.

“Let’s have a donut cake.”

Ben’s brow wrinkled. “If you’re trying to save money…won’t that be just as expensive?”

“Nope. Besides, I have a groupon.”

Ben started laughing. “You’re completely crazy.”

“Not as crazy as you for wanting to marry me in the first place,” she said, deadpan, as she tolerated his sudden embrace. 

* * *

  
  


Poe stared at Rey over the desk in his office. “Justice of the Peace?”

“Yeah. Will she do it, do you think?”

“Just to get this straight, you want my wife to officiate. In this office.”

“Well, I really don’t want some big to-do. The only reason we’re having a reception is because Ben insisted.”

Poe looked suspicious. “Does Ben know you aren’t planning an actual ceremony?”

Rey wriggled in her seat some and looked distinctly uncomfortable. 

“Not exactly?”

“Rey.”

Rey was silent and Poe sighed. 

“Rey, Leia will be devastated if she doesn’t get this moment with her son. She missed so many other moments with him and god knows I’m not his biggest fan, but I think you both deserve this moment with her and with each other.”

Rey began tearing up. 

“Poe, it’s so horribly expensive. And neither of us are making much and I can’t possibly take money from Leia and -”

Poe smiled gently at her. “Rey, listen. If there’s one thing my wife knows how to do, it’s fix things, and if there’s one thing I learned from her, it’s how to fix things with her. Let us help. There’s always another way.”

“I just hate how much everything costs when it  _ shouldn’t _ . It’s not as if the invitations from some printer are any better quality than the paper I bought, and it’s not like these cake decorators are using designer cake recipes, and I’ve tried, Poe. I really have -”

“Yeah, but you haven’t asked for help yet and now you are. So  _ let us help _ .” He reached across the desk and took her hands. “I understand getting upset. Consumerism has ruined a lot of things, including events that are supposed to be about everything  _ except _ money. But just because everyone else says it needs to cost you as much as a home or car doesn’t mean you can’t beat the system and prove them wrong. That’s what your relationship with Ben is all about, isn’t it?” He smiled gently. “Proving people wrong?”

Rey gave him a giant, watery smile. “Thanks for understanding, Poe.”

“Anytime, mi hermana.”

* * *

  
  


Rose stood behind Rey, retying her sash and then straightening the ribbons running down her back from her flower crown. She’d been nothing but supportive of Rey for the last several months: from turning her back on wedding expos and the entire capitalist racket; to making her own bridesmaid dress and hand glueing favors; to helping mow the abandoned field they were using on Poe’s family’s country property.

“So, are you going to judge me if I go all out with the princess dress and four layer cake and open bar and band? You know, if it ever happens for me?” she asked, her voice curiously flat.

Rey turned around and took her hands. “Oh, Rose. No.  _ When _ your big day arrives, I will support you in whatever you want most. Just...please promise you won’t spend as much as the price tag on a new car?” She gave a fake shudder of horror and Rose was suddenly laughing and crying and hugging her tight. 

Rey felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find Leia and Amilyn standing there, wearing matching expressions of joy, though Amilyn’s was less damp. 

“I just wanted to double check with the stars of today before I took my place,” Amilyn murmured, drawing Rey into a quick hug. “No cold feet?”

“Every day since he asked,” Rey admitted in a whisper. 

“Good,” Amilyn replied, drawing back. “Predictability and certainty are for boring old people like me.”

“Which is why you married Poe?” Leia asked, jabbing her in the side. “Now move along and let me support my future daughter-in-law properly before you chase her off.”

Amilyn Holdo looked at her friend with an amused expression. “Leia, if she’s had cold feet every day for a year and is still going through with it, I’d say she’ll be just fine. It’s a testament to her love for him.”

“Oh, shoo!” Leia said, motioning her hands at the other woman. Amilyn smiled again and then left. Leia turned back to Rey. 

“Rey.”

“Leia, please -”

“You let me finish,” Leia said sternly and Rose giggled some as Rey shut up. “I’ve never seen Ben the way he is when he’s with you. You change everything about him and honestly, it’s terrifying and wonderful. I’m thrilled for you both. I can only hope - no, I  _ know _ you’ll be better together than Han and I ever were, and we had some pretty great moments. So..thank you.”

“Leia…”

“Hush, I’m not done. Now, I know you didn’t want money spent on a honeymoon and you certainly didn’t ask for anything for the wedding, but I wanted to do something for you both anyway. So, I’ve paid the rent on your apartment for the next eight months.”

All the color drained from Rey’s face, which was an astonishing feat considering all the blush and bronzer Rose had insisted she wear today. 

“Leia. You didn’t.”

“I did. So now you two can spend whatever you make extra on saving for a house, or a dog, or give it to your favorite charity - I would’ve done that, myself, but I wanted this to be a gift just for you two -”

Leia was cut off by Rey throwing her arms around the older woman.

* * *

  
  


Rey could feel Ben’s eyes on her and she finally turned to look at him, their hands clasped under the table, the fairy lights strung up around the tent reflected in his eyes, and a tender look on his face…

“What?” she asked, somewhat exasperated.

He laughed softly. “Always so practical. Can’t I gaze at my bride and bask in the romance of the moment?”

“No,” Rey grouched some. She couldn’t entirely help it; she was  _ hungry _ . She hadn’t had more than five bites of their food earlier in the afternoon and they’d already moved on from food and dessert to champagne and dancing. So she wasn’t  _ just _ hungry, she was tired and _ hangry _ . 

Ben held her hand tighter and she felt his thumb smoothing over the skin of her hand. She relaxed a little.

“You enjoyed it?” she finally asked, her voice almost shy, and she hoped he knew how happy she was simply because  _ he  _ was happy. He laughed again.

“You even have to ask? Rey, this was brilliant. I can’t believe you pulled it off. I thought for sure the magic would be gone after hearing you do nothing but crunch numbers and budget for a year, but this...babe, I’m so happy.”

“Really?”

“Deliriously.” Ben leaned toward her and she suddenly felt his breath on her neck, his lips moving near her ear. “Dance with me?”

Ben and Phasma had just finished their break and were starting another set and the gentle sounds of a mandolin and guitar were breaking across the space in an ethereal version of “Dirait-on”. Their vocalist, a young man named Mitaka, began singing and Rey allowed Ben to help her up and escort her to the center of the tent, where other couples were swaying together on the grassy floor. 

Safe in her husband’s arms, and perhaps a little under the same spell as he, Rey found herself ready to confess everything.

“I hated planning this,” she whispered. Ben tightened his arms around her, but didn’t stop moving.

“I wanted to marry you, because I knew you wanted it so badly, but I’d have been happy with anything. Anywhere. Just as long as I was with you.” She glanced up at him and found him looking at her intently. He leaned down and kissed her.

“I’m sorry it was so stressful,” he replied. “I think we’ll be glad, though. Years from now. We’ll have all this to look back on.”

Rey smiled at him, her heart as warm and tender for him as the day he’d confessed he loved her.

“Maybe. And it is worth it, just to see you happy. I’m glad I could give you this - could give you  _ and  _ your mother this. But I don’t want to have to look backward in order to remember how much I love you. For us, from now on, it’s only forward.”

Ben closed his eyes briefly and rested his cheek against her forehead, pressing his lips there once, twice. His next word was a ragged whisper filled with undeniable emotion, murmured like the prayer she was for him.

“Rey.”

Rey sighed his name and closed her eyes too, and the night spun on around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Weddings are often wonderful occasions, but they cost too damn much. Don't buy into the fantasy. Make the entire marriage special, not just one day. You don't have to turn it into a date night occasion for your friends and family. If your relationship really matters to them, they'll understand why you served them homemade food/cake/mead and didn't have a DJ for four hours and still be happy they attended. Destroy consumerist wedding culture. Eat the rich.


End file.
